NSW health urges vaccinations after tetanus deaths

A woman in her 70s from Northern NSW has died from tetanus. A woman in her 80s from Sydney died on April 1. Earlier this year another woman in her 80s, from Sydney, died from tetanus.

These are the first tetanus cases reported in NSW since 2019, and the deaths caused by tetanus are the first since 1993.

In all three cases, tetanus was acquired from a minor wound on the woman’s lower leg that was contaminated by garden soil. Two of the women had no record of tetanus vaccination and the third had a vaccine more than 30 years ago.

Tetanus (sometimes called lockjaw) is a disease caused by a bacteria found in soil. The bacteria can enter wounds and produce a toxin that attacks a person’s nervous system. The disease does not spread person to person.

The deaths have prompted NSW Health to urge people to stay up to date with their tetanus vaccinations.

NSW Health director of communicable diseases Dr Christine Selvey urged the community, particularly older Australians, to ensure they have had a recent tetanus shot.

“Tetanus is a rare, but potentially fatal disease. Vaccination is the best protection against tetanus,” Dr Selvey said.

“In Australia, the disease mostly occurs in older people, usually women, who are inadequately immunised.”

For more information on tetanus visit here.

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